One Bot's Trash
by TyLeeChan
Summary: Aftermath: Swindle never thought much of trash. How his perspective would quickly change after one fortunate find. "Sequel" to 'It Just Wasn't Their Orbital Cycle'. TFA Transformers Animated Spoilers for "Decepticon Air" and "This is Why I Hate Machines"


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This is a somewhat sequel to It Just Wasn't Their Orbital Cycle. You'll see why later. But its written more like Watertight and is told from Swindle's POV.

**Ah. A Swindle fic. I LOVE Swindle!! He's hysterical, and has the best facial expressions!! I have to say, my pitches are pretty good, but almost all of the items he sells were already mentioned, because I'm not creative when it comes to making up names for stellargalactic electronic devices. Writing Swindle was so much fun, and I also got to write a bit of Starscream being sarcastic, which was great!!**

**This is mostly based off this picture on DA .com/art/Waste-not-Want-not-116578085. I almost considering titling it the same but I thought it was better not too. It gets a little sloppy detail-wise later on, but better dialouge-wise. Oh well, PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

* * *

"Ah, nothing beats a shopping spree…especially when it's all free!" He laughed to himself as he continued to fly away from the Elite Guard's ship.

It has been a good orbital cycle. A very good orbital cycle. A highlight had been, of course, the freak storm that had wakened him up from that awful stasis-lock he had been in from his last sales trip. He frowned, remembering how bad it felt. His servos were still sore from lack of use. He had to thank that 'Sentinel' character. Without him recklessly navigating through the storm, he would still be suffering from the effects of that slagged watch and would definitely not be flying away a fee `bot.

The other highlight had been what happened directly after. The Megatron-worshipper had entrusted him to watch the captured Autobots. Like he, Swindle, would really be trusted to do that. Instead, he had gone to the cargo-hold of the Elite Guard's ship, and was met with promising prospects. Some of the best-quality weaponry was simply lying before him, begging to be taken. So he of course did.

And now he was speeding away, a quick escape on one of the Autobots' own spare ships. They were surely trying to track him now, and were probably enraged when they found it was impossible. Had to hand it to the Quintessons. They had a way with signal dampeners.

Something had bothered him, though. How had that one Autobot had been able to transwarp to the ship through _his_ Transwarp compartment? As far as he knew, it only led to his storage dimension, and surely the Autobot hadn't been there. In fact, he doubted anybot knew where exactly it was located. He figured that he should be feeling more uneasy about the fact that the `bot had to literally go though him to arrive there.

It had been a bit awkward, an Autobot randomly jostling around in your compartment and suddenly bursting out of your chest. The other `cons had accused him of aiding the `bot in coming on the ship. He had been a bit outraged at that, though he had been known to make dealings with Autobots in the past. In fact, he was planning to do some business with a few right now. But to him it didn't matter the symbol on their chestplates. It was the energon that counted.

Cybertron wasn't too far away. He knew that this was also the Autobots' destination, but his craft was much lighter and faster that he would surely get there before them. Just enough time to get the job down before the lockdown.

While in stasis he had heard that Sentinel-glitch head describing his all-too-ingenious plan to the captured Decepticons. Once he arrived at Cybertron he was going to win the sparks of the council and become the temporary Magnus. Then, with his newfound powers, he was going to spread the fear of `cons throughout the planet and enforce curfews and stuff. It had sounded rather ridiculous to Swindle, who of course could not even make faces at the stupid mudflap, let alone tell him off. Being stuck in vehicle mode had been a real drag.

But now, with this information in hand, he could use it to his advantage. He could supply some of the not-too-smart Autobots with some low-grade weapons, assuring them that it would help them fight off the evil Decepticons. They would trust him. He always won the trust of a customer. Of course, _how_ he won their trust was a completely different story. It wholly depended on who he was dealing with.

There was an annoying beeping noise from inside his compartment. He sighed, wondering what possibly could be so important. He opened it up and retrieved the object that was making the noise. It was his tracking device. Three of the four blips on the screen were frantically flashing and emitting the not-so-desired noise. These said-blips were all in close vicinity with each other, while the other was a bit far-off.

"Hm…what have we got here?" He asked himself. Quickly, he pressed a button on the device which brought up a small holo-screen. He indicated the three separate blips, and scans flew up in reply. It was the clones and that triple-changer. Their signs read that they were at temperatures below freezing. So the Autobots recaptured them. This probably meant their bugged weapons were probably going to be confiscated soon. No problem. It was the large dumb `con he wanted.

He jabbed the blip that represented him. Now that he thought about it, his name was 'Lugnut'; rather befitting of a worthless cog. His signs told him that he was on a ship, and a pretty large one at that. He knew this because of the artificial gravity that was being applied to him. Swindle froze. How did that mudflap get on a ship? Last time he checked, he was being slagged by the Autobots along with the rest of the `cons. And he definitely was not on the same ship the others were on.

There was only one way to find out. He turned on the microphone via remote control that was attached to Lugnut's weapon.

He had made sure to be able to track the Decepticons. Giving them bugged guns seemed the only logical way. He knew he was going to split as soon as he had the chance, but he wanted to keep a viz scanner on those `cons. At times as dire as these, he wanted to make sure that he had customers on servo whenever he needed them.

He bugged them with the best surveillance system he could buy. It came with a microphone, a tracking device, and a scanner. The scanner was most helpful. It was how he could see their structure signs. But most important now for him was the microphone.

The reception was a bit fuzzy. Swindle strained to hear what was being said. There was definitely a conversation going on. At least two other voices were speaking to Lugnut.

"Thank you, oh great and powerful leader." He heard Lugnut suck-up. But suck-up to who? It couldn't possibly be…

"Of course, Lugnut. Why would we keep one of our best lieutenants outside in coldness of deep space?" Asked an all-to-familiar voice. Indeed, it was the old warmonger himself. Megatron.

"I can think of several good reasons." Another familiar voice sarcastically replied. Ah yes, wasn't that the double-crosser Starscream? But he had heard that he had been slagged by Megatron himself!

"Shut up, Starscream." There was the sound of metal hitting metal and a small yelp, which made him infer that Megatron gave the traitor a good whack, "Lugnut will no doubt go along with our plan."

"Of course I will, glorious leader! Whatever you say!" Lugnut said enthusiastically.

"Very good…" Megatron paused, and Swindle could visualize him sneering in satisfaction, "This is what we are going to do…"

He was cut off by a blast of static. Swindle's viz scanners widened. Slag! He needed to hear this! It could completely change what he was going to do. He had to know what they were planning so he could alter his own plans accordingly. Without this information he could be ruined! All his practice of sales pitch he had done while he was in stasis would have gone to nothing!

He shook the receiver in irritation.

"Pick it up already!!" He muttered, trying not to break the slagged thing. As if on cue, the receiver sputtered and the reception was clear again. Unfortunately, Megatron was not the voice that reached his audio sensor.

"I still say that my way has a better chance of success." Starscream's whiny voice protested. Slag. Swindle had missed the plan entirely.

"How dare you insult the intellect of Megatron!" Lugnut roared.

"Oh, I'd be doing a lot worse if I could." Starscream whispered. Swindle doubted anybot else heard this, since his microphone picked up the softest sounds. None of the `cons responding to this comment, proving him correct.

"We should be arriving at Cybertron in an orbital cycle or two. Then we will commence with the plan." Megatron instructed.

"But that's where the Autobots are headed too!" Lugnut cried, "We should get there before them. Then we'll rip out their sparks for what they did to Blitzwing." Swindle recognized that name. Ah yes, the triple-changer. He noticed he didn't mention the clones. Or him, for that matter. Blitzwing must have been important to their team.

"Patience Lugnut. We want them to get there first."

"Yeah, so they can blow us out of the sky."

"Starscream!"

"That's right, Lugnut. Attack the defenseless head. It may be the first battle you win." Starscream taunted. There was a flurry of metallic banging from the other end, and then it went silent.

Slag that Lugnut. He broke the microphone! Of course, that was probably the first insult that he ever comprehended, and so his reaction was not unpredictable. He could have treated his weapon with more care, though.

It didn't matter. He knew what he needed. They were purposefully going to arrive late on Cybertron. Swindle smiled. That gave him just enough time to do what he needed.

* * *

He walked along the alley carefully, trying not to attract too much attention. Then again, parking an Elite Guard ship in the middle of the city wasn't exactly easy either, but he had done that much so far.

An electric storm much like the one that brought him out of stasis had surrounded the planet, and he just had to land where the clouds almost touched the ground. When he finished he used one of his many cloaking devices that he had bought from Lockdown to make it completely invisible. He absolutely hated that `con. And yet he found him to be an important trade partner. Lockdown always was craving new weaponry that Swindle had. And Lockdown generally had information or gadgets that Swindle needed. And sometimes just energon. But energon was all he wanted in the end.

Swindle froze. Somebot was moving a bit ahead of him in the alley. He quietly went forward to see who it was. Perhaps he could do some business with him. Of course, anybot in an alley would probably be the kind to do business with, but he had to make sure.

It was a smaller `bot than he expected. He was rummaging around in a garbage disposal unit behind one of the buildings. Swindle looked down and saw that fake access cards were scattered all around the floor. Ah. A fellow salesman. And a fake one at that.

"Excuse me." He imitated a cough. The `bot twirled around and stared, a large piece of machinery gripped in his servos. His faceplate had an organic appearance to it. A certain animal he had seen while on Earth. The name escaped him. "Ah yes, see, I couldn't help noticing your collection of access cards."

"You're a Decepticon!" He looked him up and down, and Swindle was afraid that he was going to scream or something, "I don't usually work with your type, but I'll see what I can do you for." Ah. So he was a `bot like him. Didn't care what side you were on.

"I think you will learn to appreciate my 'type'. But actually, I wanted to offer to be your supplier, not your customer."

"And what would you have that I would possibly want?" He had put down the machinery and was stuffing it, along with the access cards, into a bin.

"Some items I'm sure you couldn't possibly live without. And some information. You know how this place is under…new management."

"Slag yeah, who doesn't? That Sentinel Prime thinks he owns the place."

"I've heard directly from him that he's planning to enforce some pretty high standards here. The whole planet is going to be constantly on alert for…my kind." He patted the insignia on his chestplate, "And I'm sure that will open some tender opportunities for you."

"Go on." The `bot was beginning to look interested.

"I've noticed that you specialize in…faulty items."

"Hey, I don't always sell fake ones. Only to the gullible `bots, you know? They think they getting something big, and when they try to use it, it breaks or doesn't allow them entry. It's how I earn my living."

"And there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, I have some things that I believe will be of value to you." He opened his compartment and fiddled around inside, "You pin me as the type that goes for the real-deal. Something new and unheard of. It's easier to scam them that way. Let's see. My fine `bot, have you ever laid your viz scanners on…" he pulled out a small device, "…a genuine Null Ray? Manufactured and purchased straight from Pz-Zazz. One touch and your foes will fall before you. Literally. Of course, this one is a fake. It won't even put a `bot into stasis. But with all of the hullabaloo going around, well…" He broadcasted his charming smile to seal the deal, "…it won't be too hard to sell to those 'gullible `bots'."

"Hm…how much you want for it?"

"No, my friend. It is not up to me to make the price. As we always say, 'the customer is always right'." The `bot hesitated, then named the amount. It was way more than Swindle had paid to get the items; he had stolen them. He accepted, then transferred the goods in return for a quick swipe of the credit download card.

"What else do you have?" He looked greedily at Swindle's open compartment.

"Swindle has everything and anything. Just name it, and I'll sell it. I happen to have a _few _trinkets on clearance at the time that might pique your interest…"

He continued to sell the `bot several other pieces of stolen items. Every time he heard the confirmation that the swipe from the download card was good he wanted to jump up in excitement. He held this `bot in the palm of his hand. Finally, he moved from the junk to the real stuff. The recent stuff. Unfortunately, at the point the river was starting to run dry.

"What you see before you now is a one-of-a-kind Sonic Jammer 3000. Best in its class. Has several useful functions you know. And, if you act now, I'll add in a few Vok force fields free of charge. With some handling fees, or course."

"I'm not sure if I'll need any of those…" The `bot muttered, "Besides, I'm getting a bit low on energon. Say, why don't we stay in touch?" Swindle hid his disappointment. The last thing he wanted was Megatron to know he was in contact with a low-life Autobot.

"Okay, here's my frequency." Swindle handed over a screen that constantly flashed a couple of numbers. This wasn't his real frequency, but it was enough to satisfy the `bot.

"Here's mine. The name's Rattletrap, by the way."

"Ah, well, much thanks, Rattletrap. I'll contact you once I restock." Rattletrap. What a stupid name. He forced the urge to comment on it to leave his processor. He turned to leave.

"Wait, before you go, I got something to tell you! Dealer to dealer, you know what I mean?" Swindle didn't, but he nodded nevertheless. "Well, I think I know a place you may wanna' check out…"

* * *

Swindle felt stupid. Sure, nobot could see him, but somebot could walk in any cycle. This was so degrading…

He had followed the coordinates that Rattletrap had given him. It led him the back of a large building in the middle of the city. He used some activation codes the `bot had provided him to get in. It was then he realized what it was. He was inside of a garbage disposal. He should've guessed.

Swindle had quickly walked back to the door to leave when he found that it was jammed. He was stuck. All of the codebreakers he used didn't leave any effect. Even the activation code he previously used didn't do anything. How stupid he was to go though with what he promised that stupid, _stupid_ `bot. But he had been a good customer, and he felt that he owed him to check it out. The kid had been really excited about this place.

"_Yeah, haven't been there myself, but I've heard some unusual business happened 'round there. Probably find a load of mods and such."_

Mods wasn't quite what he had on the processor, but it had sounded a bit enticing. But it was nothing more than a slagging garbage disposal.

At first he had been a bit frightened. He recognized this disposal unit to have an incinerator installed in it. He flinched, expecting to be slagged upon entry. But when he looked over he saw that the incinerator was old, and didn't look like it had worked for a long time. Maybe even a stellar cycle. He was safe on that regard.

Well…while he was there, he might as well check out what the `bots who worked in the building threw out. If it was as good as what the Elite Guard had hanging around in the cargo, it would be worth it.

He strolled around, looking at the odd stacks of trash. Nothing incredibly valuable. He picked up a view spare pieces of machinery he knew he could trade in later for something more important. He came across an oil-stained mug. Ah. Somebot was drinking on the job.

He could tell that this building was more than what it seemed. It had to do with something about the Elite Guard. Their logo was plastered on a bunch of the items in the trash. Maybe he was at Fortress Maximus. Doubtful. Wasn't scary enough. He kept walking until something caught his viz scanners. The colors in the disposal unit generally consisted of gray or other bland shades. But another color had infiltrated this spectrum. It was completely unexpected. Blue. Bright Blue.

Swindle paused and turned to look. There in front of him was a cube. A crushed metal that was different hues of blue. It didn't look very special. Nothing about it that had any value. All in the same, he was drawn to the object. Its dejected state made him wonder what it truly was.

In this moment of curiosity, Swindle found himself picking up the object and inspecting it. An unconscious movement. It was cold on the exterior. And yet there was some warmth to it. He was about to examine it closer when the doors flew open. Without warning, he jumped behind a pile of trash and hid. He could hear a `bot run in.

The `bot walked around for a bit, messing around with certain piles. Then he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Blurr…this is all my fault. I've tried to come to look for you every orbital cycle, but all of Cybertron has been placed under a state of emergency. My job's gotten a lot busier. I know you are in there somewhere. And…slag this is my fault." The `bot said aloud.

Swindle wasn't quite sure what the `bot was talking about. Or who he was talking to. But as he spoke, the cube in his servos grew warmer and seemed to vibrate, as if it heard too.

"Shockwave's still missing. But we'll get him. For your sake, and for the sake of Ultra Magnus. He will have justice…they shut down Maccadam's, you know." He laughed nervously, "I…I guess it'll give me more time to look. I don't know how long I'll last before I need another drink though…"

"Cliffjumper!" Another voice shouted. Swindle froze. Great. Another Autobot.

"Yes, Alpha Trion." Swindle could hear the `bot, Cliffjumper, slowly walking away from the trash to the door.

"What are you doing back here? I thought we specifically told you not to-"

"Blurr's down here, I know it." The new `bot, Alpha Trion, sighed.

"While I will admit that you were right when you told us that Longarm was indeed the traitor Shockwave, I'm still not ready to believe this story about a crushed Autobot. The last we checked Blurr was missing in action on Earth. And considering the state you were in when you made these observations…" He stopped, obviously not wanting to insult Cliffjumper.

"Why can't we check? Why can't we make sure an innocent `bot doesn't die because of our carelessness? A `bot has already gone crazy because of me; I can't let a worse fate happen to Blurr."

"Your stubbornness is admirable as it is annoying. Even if Blurr is down here, crushed in a cube, he couldn't have possibly survived. His spark would have been beyond repair when his body was destroyed. Now come along, you still have work to do."

A cube…? Swindle looked down at the cube in his servos again as he heard the two Autobots leave the garbage disposal. He almost let himself be immersed in thought before he realized that the door was again open. He quickly pocketed the cube into his compartment and snuck out the door before it shut again.

He smiled. He might just have a better piece of merchandise than he thought.

* * *

Swindle sat in the ship he had stolen, waiting. Above him was the hulking figure of Omega Supreme, the Autobot's once almighty weapon. Now it lay in the hands of their vowed enemy, Megatron. Kind of ironic.

As he figured, the other `cons were using a transwarp field. Earlier, he had locked on it with a nifty device he had taken off of the Elite Guard's ship. Now all he had to do was wait for them to transwarp, and he would go with them. Then he would make the offer.

He doubted more than ever that Megatron would have the slightest interest in anything he had stolen from the Elite Guard. Seriously, he was already in the Autobot's greatest weapon, what more could he possibly get? But, logically, he inferred that Megatron was on Cybertron to pick up a certain double agent he had heard so much about. Swindle knew he had something that he would like. A lot.

While waiting he decided to look up this 'Blurr' `bot in the ship's computer. It had a bit of the files of the Elite Guard, and he learned all he could. He was a speedster, and an Intel officer. Last seen on earth, after a confrontation with Megatron. After reading awhile, he figured that this cube could _not_ be Blurr. This kid was too smart to be killed by Shockwave, who he personally knew was not the best in battle. But after looking at the picture attached to the file he was convinced. It was the same shades of blue as the cube.

That just made business easier for him.

He looked up as the sounds of shots rang through the air. So the Autobots were stupid enough to shoot at Omega Supreme. He felt the ship shaking, and he knew the transwarp was starting. There goes nothing. A bright flash of light, and he was floating in space.

Swindle instantly took the controls of the ship and flew towards Omega Supreme. They would be surprised to see him. As he got closer he noticed his surroundings. He had been here before. They were near Earth. Megatron was probably looking for revenge on that puny team of Autobots. Swindle hoped he extracted it well. They had ruined his machine that he was going to sell.

When he got close enough to the ship the back entrance flung open and he landed. They knew he was coming. Oh well, not like they weren't going to find out eventually. He was greeted by an all-too-familiar faceplate.

"Swindle! How dare you come back here after what you did!" Lugnut roared. Swindle casually jumped out of his ship, as if he was screamed at by a giant oaf every orbital cycle.

"Lugnut! My main `bot! Hey, could you be a dear and tell Megatron I'm here to see him? That would be great." He flashed his winning smile, which only made Lugnut angrier.

"You think that Megatron wants to see you?"

"Hm…probably not, but Shockwave will want to see what I have."

"S-Shockwave? How do you know he's…"

"Just let me in, okay?" Lugnut frowned, most likely at the mention of Shockwave, and escorted him into the main deck of Omega Supreme with a shove, "My, somebot's pushy."

"Is that who I think I'm hearing?" Megatron almost snarled. He had been staring out at Earth and now turned around, staring straight at him. Shockwave was standing next to him, expression unable to be read as usual. Slag, it's hard to like a `bot without a faceplate. A femmebot was lying on the floor. Though this would usually surprise Swindle, what he saw next was more of a shock. It was Starscream. But it was just his head sitting on the control panel.

"What the…!?" He pointed frantically at Starscream.

"Stop staring at me, you insolent fool! Have you never seen a talking head before!?" The head jumped slightly, in anger.

"N-No. What happened?"

"Compliments of Megatron." He answered blandly.

"What are you doing here, Swindle?" Megatron asked, annoyed.

"I told him you wouldn't want to see him, my liege. But he said he wanted to see Shockwave." Lugnut's structure tensed as he spoke the double agent's name. Starscream smiled.

"Oh my, Shockwave sure is popular now, isn't he? At this rate everybot will forget about you, Lugnut." Starscream taunted.

"Silence!" Megatron and Lugnut cried at the same time. Shockwave stared at Swindle with his single viz scanner. It felt like he was examining him, and he became uneasy.

"Why do you wish to see me?" He finally asked in his breathy voice.

"I think I have something you might want. For a price of course."

"Of course." He replied sarcastically.

"Well, I happened to be on Cybertron and…"

"How did you get to Cybertron!? You were supposed to be on the ship guarding the Autobots! Blitzwing would not be captured if it wasn't for you!" Lugnut resumed his ranting.

"Blitzwing made a risky move of his own accord. And besides, with that other `bot from Earth there we didn't stand a chance. I got out as soon as I could in order to get help." He lied, obviously.

"'`bot from Earth'?" Megatron repeated.

"Uh, yes my liege. That annoying fire truck." Lugnut informed before Swindle could.

"Interesting…" Megatron went back to staring at Earth, no longer listening to the conversation.

"So, anyways, I…" Swindle looked back down at the femmebot on the floor. She moved slightly, and he froze, "What is she doing here?"

"Are you going to ever get to business or what?" Shockwave asked.

"Ah yes, business before pleasure. Well, I just wanted to know if you recognized…" he opened his compartment and fumbled through before he grabbed the cube, "…this!" He raised it in the air. Lugnut and Starscream stared stupidly at it. Shockwave didn't move, but Swindle could've sworn he twitched a bit. There was a silence in the ship.

"It's a cube. It's a crushed cube. Why would Shockwave want a piece of slag like that?" Starscream asked.

"Oh, it's not any crushed cube, my friend." He started his pitch, "This just happens to be the remains of a certain `bot that knew too much. A certain `bot that Shockwave thought he had gotten rid of. A certain `bot that is still online." He sweetened it up with a smile. Lugnut and Starscream still looked bewildered.

"I saw…I saw Cliffjumper throw that away. It was headed for the incinerator!" Shockwave cried out in anger and disbelief.

"Which was unfortunately in need of a good tune-up. If you want I can fix that for you for a low cycle-cost. I've located his spark, Shockwave. It beats normally. I can relate to being in deep stasis like this. It's a real drag. I'm sure he'd like to be able to move right now. And talk. I've heard he's a _real_ talker. But don't stop there! I'm sure the first thing he'd really, _really_ want to do is take out revenge on the `con who tried to kill him. And who would that be?" He pretended to think it over, "Oh that's right, our own Shockwave!"

"Give that too me, now!" He growled.

"No can do. It's in my possession now. I think I might keep it. Use it to remind you of the `bot that got away." He sneered. "Unless your offer's good enough." Shockwave looked like he was going to kill Swindle on the spot. But he couldn't. He didn't have the artillery Swindle had. Though, the fact that he had Megatron on his side was a powerful factor, he was sure he would find a way out. Perhaps he could try the new transwarp device he had swiped from the Elite Guard's ship.

Shockwave looked over at Megatron, who obviously was staying out of this whole matter. Annoyance visible in his viz scanner, he turned back to Swindle.

"How much?"

Ah, he played them just like a car horn.

* * *

**If you've read Its Just Wasn't Their Orbital Cycle, the refs back to it make sense. But it isn't a complete sequel, since it well...it just isn't. I got to write Shockwave, Megatron, Starscream, Lugnut, Alpha Trion, Cliffjumper, Swindle, and Rattletrap, witha bunch of refs to others. I really liked this, and enjoyed it. I had to write it pretty quickly to keep it canon though, since the next episode could COMPLETELY uncanon it.**

**I right biasedly. Lugnut and Schokwave are written contemply, cuz I don't like them. Swindle, Screamer and Blurr and written happily, cuz I'm a fangirl XD**

**All of the planets and alien races reffed here were also reffed in the show. Arcee was also in this, brefly. She was going to have a bigger role. I'm so Pro- ArceexRatchet, I hope it happens in the finale!!!**

**well, I hope you liked it. Tell me what you think!**


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